It might not look like much, but a single MS-07B-3 Gouf Custom was one of the most devastating mobile suits in the Universal Century.
The rosters of Mobile Suit greatness are littered with Gundam models. From the original RX-078 to later models like the Unicorn Gundam or the Penelope/Odysseus Gundam. And always with some kind of special system that made them and their pilots able to pivot the whole course of a war. Or at least look extremely cool while fighting in an atmospheric re-entry battle.
But there can be no denying that one of the few non-Gundam mobile suits that belongs up there with the all-time greats is the MS-07B-3 Gouf Custom. It was a favorite of ace pilots and was widely considered to be the absolute masterpiece of the Gouf designs. What made it stand out from the normal Gouf? Slightly better gear and better mobility, which in the hands of a skilled pilot, could prove absolutely devastating to enemies.
The MS-07B-3 Gouf Custom: Design And Capabilities
Standing at 18.7 meters tall and weighing in at 77.6 metric tons when fully loaded, the Gouf Custom is a powerhouse of a Mobile Suit. Constructed of a Super-Hard Steel Alloy, and outfitted with a Minovsky Ultracompact Fusion Reactor, the Gouf Custom is one of the better designs by Zeon’s Zeonic Company.
It was a machine tuned to versatility, capable of fighting at close range or from a great distance. It replaced the standard “finger vulcans” from the regular B-type Gouf with an actual hand manipulator and a detachable triple 35mm Gatling gun mounted on its left forearm. And for backup, it could carry a modified Gouf-type shield with a larger 75mm Gatling gun mounted within it. Since it was mounted on a shield, the pilot could discard when empty easily enough, so they could switch to closer range battles.
It also carried a 120mm machine gun, standard Zeon armament, but effective. Especially since it doesn’t drain power from the onboard reactor. It also carried a Heat Saber Type-DIII, sometimes called the heat sword. These were desgined for close combat and were kept installed at the back of the Gatling shield so they could be drawn and used, potentially surprising the enemy up close.
Some Gouf Customs – notably the one piloted by Norris Packard – carried a gattpling hook as well, enabling the pilot to carry out unexpected maneuvers and approach enemy mobile suits from unusual flanks. Mobility is king in a close-in engagement. And the Gouf Custom excelled at giving its pilots unusual vectors for attack.
But that’s just one Custom. There were many specialized weapons created for the ace pilots that took charge of these Mobile Suits. Naransolongo Boldbayar for instance, carried two different close combat weapons: the Heat Knuckle and Heat Vajra sticks, as well as a set of Mobile Suit-sized “hand grenades”. While the Gouf Custom piloted but Manning carried a 3-tube Missile Launcher.
All that to say, each Gouf Custom, despite having the same standard functionality, carried weapons to match its pilots’ sensibilities. And that made them a legend on the battlefields of the Universal Century.
Fighting Across The Solar System
The MS-07B-3 Gouf Custom was intended as a countermeasure to newer EFF MS types. The baseline Gouf was an upgrade designed to replace the Zaku II. And though the production never quite hit the scale needed to get them fully rolled out during Zeon’s collapse, the Gouf Custom cut a swath through some of the more precarious battles of the UC.
For instance, two Gouf Customs were used in an assault on Jaburo in UC 0079. Meanwhile, another white Gouf Custom piloted by Lance Garfield fought to defend the Capital during the plot to assassinate Gihren.
Though perhaps the single most notable appearance of the B-3 Gouf Custom was during the fight with the 08th MS Team in a battle against Shiro Amada and the Ez-8 Gundam. A single ace pilot, Norris Packard, took on the entire 08th MS Team, successfully destroying three RX-75 Guntank Mass Production types and defeating two regular Gundam Ground types before finally being taken down by Shiro Amada himself in a pitched duel.
While the 08th MS team ultimately prevailed, it wasn’t until after Packard had achieved his objective, knocking out the guntanks and paving way for the Zeon forces to deploy the Apsalus III mobile armor to great effect.
And that’s why one of the best Gundams isn’t even a Gundam!
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